Posted by catachrest on December 11, 2003, at 16:13:38
I'm a canadian, and when I went to see my doctor about depression, as I couldn't afford to see a private counsellor, I was referred to Mental Health Services through the Health Region. It took a few months to get through the waiting list, but finally I was called and told I had an appointment with "Roy" on such a date and such a time at such a place. It was only at our second session that I finally got a chance to look at his certificate on his wall and find out (a) his last name, and b) his credentials. Turns out his degrees are in Social Work.
That kind of blew me away. I mean, I don't claim to be any kind of expert on psychology or social work, but isn't it kind of odd to send a depressed but otherwise normal young woman to a social worker for counselling? I know I'm not the only person he works with for depression - he has books and stuff on it in his bookcase - but I'm not sure that it's helping.
He seems to take a very practical approach to counselling - almost behaviourist, I suppose you can say, whereas, while I don't really know what exactly I was expecting, I guess I thought it would be more thoughts-and-feelings or something. While perhaps this is useful sometimes, it's very difficult for me to talk to him during the session because he keeps asking me questions I can't answer. Like, "What do you want to change about yourself". Sometimes after I say my piece the conclusion he draws is something I already know, and it's frustrating, because I feel like saying "Why am I here? If I needed to know that I have trouble taking action and making decisions, I could have asked ME - I know that!" (I recognize that that sentence makes very little sense). It's especially frustrating, oddly enough, because my depression has been lightening lately and I don't feel so much like I even NEED counselling - though of course I recognize that until I deal with the issues that depress me I can't be free of anything.
I don't know, I'm rambling I guess, but I'm just frustrated. I don't feel like we're getting anywhere in counselling, we talk about something different every time, and it seems like again and again he'll ask me a question and I'm just silent because I can't think of anything to say, and I'm normally quite articulate. It's very very frustrating.
Maybe the fact that I find it difficult to answer means he's striking nerves - maybe I need a very practical approach like he's using. But it's not very comfortable. I hesitate to break it off, though, because I don't know if I can be referred again if I break off the sessions, and if so, would it take months again? I still can't afford private therapy. Is it just me? Am I just a bad client? Sigh, sigh, sigh.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
poster:catachrest
thread:288854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031202/msgs/288854.html